Question: The function $f$ is defined on the set of integers and satisfies \[f(n)= \begin{cases}  n-3 & \mbox{if }n\ge 1000 \\  f(f(n+5)) & \mbox{if }n<1000. \end{cases}\]Find $f(84)$.
Solution: Denote by (1) and (2) the two parts of the definition of $f$, respectively. If we begin to use the definition of $f$ to compute $f(84)$, we use (2) until the argument is at least $1000$: \[f(84) = f(f(89)) = f(f(f(94))) = \dots = f^N(1004)\](where $f^N$ denotes composing $f$ with itself $N$ times, for some $N$). The numbers $84, 89, 94, \dots, 1004$ form an arithmetic sequence with common difference $5$; since $1004 - 84 = 920 = 184 \cdot 5$, this sequence has $184 + 1 = 185$ terms, so $N = 185$.

At this point, (1) and (2) are both used: we compute \[\begin{aligned} f^N(1004) &\stackrel{(1)}{=} f^{N-1}(1001) \stackrel{(1)}{=} f^{N-2}(998) \stackrel{(2)}{=} f^{N-1}(1003) \stackrel{(1)}{=} f^{N-2}(1000) \\ &\stackrel{(1)}{=} f^{N-3}(997) \stackrel{(2)}{=} f^{N-2}(1002) \stackrel{(1)}{=} f^{N-3}(999) \stackrel{(2)}{=} f^{N-2}(1004). \end{aligned}\]Repeating this process, we see that \[f^N(1004) = f^{N-2}(1004) = f^{N-4}(1004) = \dots = f^3(1004).\](The pattern breaks down for $f^k(1004)$ when $k$ is small, so it is not true that $f^3(1004) = f(1004)$.) Now, we have \[f^3(1004) \stackrel{(1)}{=} f^2(1001) \stackrel{(1)}{=} f(998) \stackrel{(2)}{=} f^2(1003) \stackrel{(1)}{=} f(1000) \stackrel{(1)}{=} \boxed{997}.\]